Henry m



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. ZIMMERMAN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,937, dated June 26, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. ZIMMER- MAN, of the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Butt-Hinges; and I do hereby declare the following to be a correct description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l, is a side elevation of the hinge complete; Fig. 2 is a similar elevation showing thek leaves of the hinge separate; Fig. 3 is a top view; and Fig. 4:, shows the hinge applied Ato a door.

The same part, wherever it occurs, is marked by the same letter of reference.

The nature of my invention consists in making a butt hinge, capable of being used either as a right or left hand hinge, by placing one leaf above the other on a pin or spindle, and so constructing it that only one half the quantity of metal usually employed is required-all as hereinafter described.

Butt hinges are usually made With two leaves of equal size which fold together, each leaf being provided with a segment or segments of a hollow cylinder which t together, and are united by a central pin or spindle. The leaves are of equal size, and when the hinge is folded together their inner surfaces are in contact in every part. They are also limited in their motion, and have to be made in pairs, or rights and lefts as they are called.

My improved butt hinge is distinguished from the common article by having two leaves, generally of unequal size, which do not fold together, so that their inner faces come into contact. The upper leaf A only is provided with a hollow cylinder or socket C, which receives a spindle or pin E projecting up from the solid cylindrical back D of the lower leaf B. The leaves project from the cylinders in a radial and not in a tangential line, as seen in Fig. 3. The screw holes z', z', &c. are countersunk on both sides. Thus constructed, my hinge is capable of any amount of motion. The upper leaf may if required make an entire rotation on the pin E. It can therefore be used either as a right or left hand hinge, and mere inspection will show that it is made of the same amount of metal as is required to make one leaf of a common butt hinge of the same measurement.

To apply this hinge to a door, but one mortise is required, which may be either in the door or frame, as preferred.

Fig. 4 shows the hinge when applied, F marking that portion of the mortise which is vacant when the door is open, and which receives the upper leaf C, of the hinge when the door is closed.

This hinge is more readily cast than the ordinary butt. It is more simple in con struction, takes less material, and is capable of being used either as a left or right hand hinge indiiferently. It will therefore prove both a better and a cheaper article to the public than the common butt hinge.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim- As a new and improved article of manufacture, a butt hinge constructed as specilied, for the purposes set forth.

The above specification signed and witnessed this 30th day of May A. D. 1860.

HENRY M. ZIMMERMAN.

lVitnesses:

CHAS. F. STANSBURY, EDM. F. BROWN. 

